Werewolves and Wonder
by BluishBleach
Summary: In which Alex follows his labmate into the forest one night, discovers some things, and pulls a gun. Cue mutual freakouts as Alex learns that there is so much more to the world than he had ever imagined, and his labmate learns that yeah, Alex definitely has something weird going on himself. [Post-Scorpia Rising, nothing from Never Say Die]


**AN: This is an excerpt from a story** **I'm writing where Alex is thrown into the supernatural world and has to deal. He ends up making a lot of friends and working through his grief- and of course there's a bunch of action because things are never simple with Alex lol. I've kind of just been writing the fun parts, so everything is still a little disjointed. Don't know if I'll ever actually get around to connecting everything, so I'm just going to be posting little bits of it here and there! Hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Please don't scream," Aram said, holding up two clawed paws.

"My lab partner just turned into a werewolf," Alex said faintly, tightening his grip on the pistol he was holding out in front of him. "Why would I scream?"

Aram swallowed. "I think the better question is 'where did you get that gun?'"

"It's mine."

" _Why do you have it?"_

"So I can shoot anyone who wants to kill me." He looked at his partner. "Do you want to kill me?"

"No no!" Aram yelped, waving his paws. "I don't want to kill you! I- I don't want to hurt you at all! Can you just- can you just _put the gun down?_ Please?"

There was a tense pause. The wind whistles through the tree branches, and the pale moonlight spilled like crushed opals over the two boys. Alex slowly lowered his gun.

"So you're… you're a werewolf." He inhaled deeply. "An actual werewolf."

"We prefer the term 'lycan' actually," Aram said timidly, and the blond choked.

" _We?_ So- so there are more of you? You guys know each other?"

"Yes. Yes, um, there's kind of an entire population of lycans? All around the world?"

Alex's brain short-circuited as he processed that.

Lycans. _Werewolves._ All around the world, living side by side with humans. He'd never known. He'd never even suspected. Another thought hit him like a tidal wave. Did Blunt know about werewolves? Did Jones? Did Byrne?

"How many lycans are there?"

"What, like, in total? I don't know. A lot? We don't really keep track."

"But a lot."

"Yeah. Look, I'll talk to you about this and explain the best I can, but can I shift back first? It's really hard to talk through these fangs."

"You can shift at will."

"...Yeah."

"Lycans can _shift_ at _will."_

"Yeah," Aram repeated, and then, keeping a wary eye on Alex, tensed his muscles and hunched his shoulders. Alex watched, shocked, as the dark fur covering Aram's neck and shoulders cracked and shuddered, drawing back into his skin. The older boy grunted and his paws shattered and split into fingers. The sound of bones cracking apart and remelding together made Alex want to throw up, and although the sight of his lab partner's vertebrae relocating themselves raised bile to his throat, he forced himself to watch, grip still painfully tight on his pistol.

When his body finally settled, Aram sighed and rolled his hips, hands planted on his lower back. "God, does that feel good."

Alex's cheeks coloured. "You're- You're, um-"

Aram slapped a hand to his forehead. "Naked, right! Sorry. I'm sorry. Usually I'm with other lycans when I do this. And they don't care 'cause they're naked too. Or I'm alone which is obviously no big deal."

He reached down and unzipped the fanny pack that was clipped around his waist. To Alex's disbelieving gaze, he pulled out a pair of boxer shorts and a thin tank-top.

"All that'll fit," he apologized, stepping into the shorts. He carefully tucked the top under the fanny pack, and the absurdity of the situation made Alex want to cry.

"You were the fanny pack in your other form too?"

"My waist stays about the same size in both forms," Aram admitted. "Then when I shift back I have something to slip on. It can get freezing in the forest at night sometimes, you know. The rest of my clothing is in my car."

"It is… a bit breezy at the moment."

Aram nodded, and the two lapsed into awkward silence staring at each other.

"This is crazy," Alex said finally. "You're a real life, honest to God _werewolf_. What the hell Aram? _What the hell?_ You have _so much_ explaining to do. What the hell."

"Maybe we should get back to campus before we get into things," Aram said hesitantly. "You're going to catch a cold out here."

"And you're not?"

The slightly hysterical tone to his voice warned Aram to tread lightly.

"My skin is a bit thicker than yours- literally thicker, I mean. I don't have to worry too much about the common cold."

"Right. Silly me."

"Yeah," he said, shifting awkwardly. "So do you want to-...?"

And then Alex raised his gun and things got very very tense.

"HEY! Hey! Whoa- Would you- Would you _put that down?_ For God's sake!"

"We're not leaving these woods until I'm sure you're not a threat," Alex said slowly, straining to keep his voice measured. "Now get on your knees."

"Sure man, sure, no problem. Look, I'm down, see?"

Aram lowered himself to the ground carefully, keeping his hands where Alex could see them.

"I've got no weapon- nothing. I don't even have any _pants._ I'm not a threat."

"You're a werewolf."

Aram's lips tightened. "Just because I'm a lycan doesn't mean I'm automatically _dangerous._ Lycans are just like you humans. We just have a few biological differences."

"So you say."

"Look, if I had wanted to hurt someone, don't you think I would have done so by now? I'm 21! I've had my chance!"

"How do I know you _haven't_ hurt someone?"

"I give you my word." Aram stared up at the blond, trying to show him his sincerity with just his eyes. "I _haven't."_

"That's not good enough!" Alex snapped at him in frustration. "I can't trust anything you say!"

"And why not!" Aram burst out. "Because I'm a _werewolf?_ Alex, this doesn't change _anything_ about me! I mean sure, I go out at night sometimes and transform into a giant canine and galavant the woods, but my personality, my morals, is the same- who I am inside- it's the same! Alex, _please_ , don't act like- like those people in class who treat me differently just because of my skin colour and where I'm from! It's the inside that counts, not the outside."

Alex flinched subtly at his lab partner's words, but hid his hurt behind a mask of steel.

"Being a Muslim and being a presumed blood-thirsty, mythological beast are entirely different things. And I'm not going to let this drop until I'm absolutely positive I have the full story."

Aram pursed his lips. Alex glared back. His hand didn't shake, and Aram finally sighed, a long, slow, exhalation of breath.

"The full story is a long one," he warned.

Alex shook his head. "I don't care. You need to tell me. I _have_ to know that you're not a threat. Aram, I like you, you're a good guy, and you're my _friend_. But this is- this is _crazy_. I- I need some info here."

"I… understand. I guess. I mean, your whole life has just been turned upside down." He sighed again and looked up to the moon.

His face was shadowed and his dark eyes shone in the night of the forest. His shoulders were tensed and he was looking thin. His hard was wild, in the typical college student mane of 'I-Haven't-Had-Time-To-Shower-In-Three-Days' and the worried look furrowed into his brow was reminiscent of the harried new TA in Alex's bio class.

He didn't look anything like a killer- he didn't look like any sort of danger, actually, but Alex had learned, through hard, painful experience, that looks could be deceiving, and it was much better to be safe than sorry.

"I'm sorry Aram," Alex said. "Just answer my questions and we can go."

"Fine. I'll tell you whatever you want. But I have some questions of my own."

His gaze swiveled down and he fixed Alex with a matching glare.

"You show up in the middle of the woods in the middle of the _night_ with a _gun_ which you know how to use, and you are obviously prepared and willing to _shoot_ me. Pardon me, Alex, but _what the hell?"_

Alex couldn't help but grimace. It was true. He probably did owe Aram an explanation. He was basically holding the other man hostage at gunpoint, which was, to be fair, somewhat out of character for the person Alex had tried to become.

But it was this person that made Alex all the more reluctant to bare himself to Aram. He'd covered himself with a mask of calm and control, and he'd been doing a pretty good job, all things considered, of leaving the past in the past- where it would rot with his friends and family and loved ones and everyone else who had been caught in the crossfire of the lies and violence that had once swallowed him whole. He didn't want to relive his trauma. He didn't want to share the memories and the damage that had been done to him and those around him.

But he had a sig sauer aimed squarely at Aram and it was two in the morning in a dangerous forest. He _owed_ Aram an explanation.

 _Unless, of course, Aram_ is _the danger_ , he thought. _In which case perhaps I won't need to explain at all._

All he said, however, was, "Fine. I'll tell you what you want to know. But only after you."

"Sounds fair," Aram said. "Do you think we could first- sit maybe?"

"...Where?"

Aram looked around, but the forest floor was bare of anything but leaves and broken branches. "Uh, well, here on the ground, I guess."

Under Alex's watchful eye, they both slowly lowered themselves to the ground. Aram leaned back awkwardly on his rear end, his boxers being the only thing keeping his skin from touching the slightly moist forest floor. Alex curled one leg up and kept the other lying loose out in front of him.

"Okay," He said. "First question- can you really shift at will? What about the full moon? Are you compelled to shift then?"

"Yeah, we can shift at will. And no, we're not _compelled,_ exactly. I mean, we kind of are, just not by the moon?" Aram chewed on his bottom lip. He was fangless again, Alex noticed. "We have to shift at least once a month. LIke, we biologically _have_ to. I guess the full moon myth came about through inaccurate assumptions, you know, and now a lot of lycans just like to shift during the full moon to be, like, hipsters."

"Hipsters." Alex repeated.

"Yeah, it's kind of a thing now. Just because of pop culture though. No actual moon madness or anything like that."

"Pop culture, right of course. Speaking of other werewolves- lycans, I mean- you said… there were others…"

"Yeah. We kind of have, you know, communities."

"Of course. Communities."

Alex stared some more, and Aram coughed awkwardly.

"Are there others?"

"Uh, yeah, I just-"

"No, _others_ , as in- other… creatures? Races, I guess? You know, vampires, or- or God, I don't know, ghosts?"

"How much would you freak out if I said yes?"

Alex's feelings were bridging on horrified, and he stared at Aram, eyes wide.

"Oh my _God_ , there _are._ Vampires? Ghosts?"

"Both," Aram admitted, and Alex choked.

"Jesus _Christ._ Where are they? Where do they live? Do _you_ know any vampires? Ghosts? What about- what about centaurs? Dragons? _Fairies?_ What about elves? Are there-"

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold on! Hold on! Just- slow down. One question at a time. Vampires are pretty much everywhere. As are ghosts. Yes, I know a couple of vampires. The girl with blue hair and circle glasses in your philosophy class in actually a vampire, believe it or not. Centaurs are not around anymore, but they were, once. Same to dragons. Fairies are actually all over the place as well- more so than any other race, actually. Elves really are a myth though."

"This is _insane,"_ Alex blurted. His grip had loosened on his pistol, and he was staring at Aram, unabashed. "This is _absolutely insane._ You're a werewolf. I know a vampire. _Fairies exist?_ How do you keep something like this under wraps? It's not _possible._ We are in the digital age, now. Surely you- they- something- _someone_ would have been caught on video by now, at least."

"Well, that actually happens rather often." Aram said, eyeing his labmate. "It's just lucky we have the government on our side, I guess?"

"The government knows." Alex felt in a stupor. His head hadn't buzzed like this since… Well, since things that he'd rather not thing about. "Of course."

"Not everyone in the government," Aram explained. "Just the higher ups. Although more are in the know than you'd expect, I think. It's pretty wild to think about… Anyway, the government in most countries does a pretty good job of monitoring the Internet for any suspicious, Para-worldly content."

"Para-worldly… As in Paranormal?"

"Parallel, actually. Because there's a whole 'nother world out there, full of people and races that most humans don't know about."

Alex shook his head. Every single inch of his flesh was tingling, adrenaline and tension rushing through his veins like a map of wild rivers and estuaries crashing over rocks. So Blunt and Jones did know. Byrne too, without a doubt. It didn't surprise him. They were powerful people, wielding _much_ much authority than they should ever have been given in the first place.. What _was_ surprising was the amount of betrayal that he felt. He had fought and bled for them- all three, and the ASIS department head, if he was counting. And none had felt he was important enough to fill him on on the secret that they as humans _were not alone._

But then he hadn't been, had he? All he'd ever been, really, was a puppet, dancing on tightened strings, hollow and empty and easy to tug wherever his masters had felt. Alex had never been anything but a tool, an expendable one at that, and Alex found himself realizing all over again that he was nothing to Blunt. He was nothing to Jones.

It had been four years since he'd seen either of them- Cairo had been the tipping point, in a lot of ways. But he still felt their presence in every aspect of his life.

They were there when he searched out the escape routes and exits when he entered a room. They were there when he woke up in the middle of the night, choking on his own blood, lips bleeding and bruised.

They were there when he stood just a little too close to the edge of the roof, standing on top of the science center at 3 o'clock in the morning.

They were there when he ate.

They were there when he didn't.

There when he retreated in on himself, withdrawing for days.

There when he stayed up for three full nights, studying obsessively, terrified of failure.

There when he breathed and blinked and _survived_ in a world that should have just been about _living._

And Alex wondered if they ever even though of him anymore.

"How long have you been a werewolf?" Alex asked, and then quickly corrected himself. "No- I mean- How long have you been a lycan?"

Aram smiled, hesitantly. "Er, well- All my life, actually. I'm a Primary lycan, you see."

"Primary?"

"Means my parents were also lycans. I was naturally born with lycanthropy."

"And so a…. What, _Secondary_ lycan-"

"Was turned. At some point. That usually happens through transmission of bodily fluids. The bite things is actually just a myth. Saliva won't do it, unless you somehow ingest a _boat-load_ of it." Aram made a face. "And that just sounds _nasty."_

"Quite," Alex conceded, mind racing. "What's the ratio? Of Primary and Secondary lycans?"

Aram pondered for a moment. "Er- well- I mean, I don't really know? But if I had to guess I'd probably say that maybe like half of lycans are probably Secondary? A quarter are Primary, and the remaining are Tertiary?"

" _Tertiary?"_

"Tertiary lycans are descended from lycans, but they can't shift. Blood's too diluted. A lot of people don't consider Tertiary lycans _real_ lycans, but I mean, they've got the excellent hearing and mildly elevated immune system, so like… I don't know, it's a tax thing, I think."

Alex felt like crying. There was just _so much_ to take in. Primary and Secondary and _Tertiary_ werewolves, but they _weren't_ werewolves, they were _lycans_ and he'd honestly never felt so out of his depth, not even when he was training at a terrorist compound surrounded by cold blooded assassins.

He took a deep breath and a moment to gather himself. Focus. His overarching goal here was to determine whether or not Aram was a threat- the more detailed questions could come later.

"What do you eat?" He asked

Aram blinked. "Eat?"

"Yes. Do you ever eat humans?"

" _Humans_?" There could be no faking the utterly revolted and offended look that sprung on Aram's face. " _Absolutely not._ That's, one, completely gross, and two, totally against the law. No one is allowed to eat other sentients." He hesitated then for a split second. "I mean, well, it's illegal to _kill_ other sentients. I've always thought that eating them would be off limits too, but… Is cannibalism legal? I mean, in the Outer World? Like I know murder isn't, but what if you had a friend or something, and he died naturally, but after he gave you permission to eat him after he passed. Would that be allowed, or-"

"Aram." Alex interrupted. "That's fine. I get your point."

HIs lab partner was rambling, something he only did when he was rather stressed out. He rambled when they were studying for their first exam. He rambled when talking about asking out the cute girl at the bookstore. And he was rambling now, huddled on the forest floor nearly naked, with his friend pointing a loaded pistol at his chest.

Alex grit his teeth. He couldn't afford to feel guilty, not now.

"If you were to kill a human, what would the punishment be? From your government?"

"Well, life in prison, I'd imagine. Our society is really a lot like that of the Outer World's, politically. Maybe the death sentence, if it was a particularly brutal murder."

"Hmm. Who else knows you're a lycan?"

"Like, in general, or-?"

"Who at the school knows," Alex amended. "You said the blue haired girl in my philosophy class- Katie- was a vampire. Are you two friends?"

"Not friends, no. Parallel Beings just kind of learn to recognize each other, is all. So she probably knows… Professor Farthing- my Econ teacher- is like half djinn or something, I think. He probably knows. Maybe two or three girls in a sorority- I can't remember which- but I think they're Paras, so them too… And then Alistair Cotabelli, we've been talking actually. He's a vamp. So, yeah. That's it- Uh, I think."

There was a very long silence, then. The wind gently sifted through the trees, rustling the leaves and pulling in sounds of the surrounding fauna. An owl 'hoo-hoo'ed somewhere nearby, there was a faint shifting in the bushes behind Aram, the crickets were chirping loudly…

The two boys stared at each other, judging, assessing, _worrying._ Aram had his bottom lip between his teeth, and he was gnawing on it anxiously. Alex was looking back at him, face completely blank, body perfectly still. Neither spoke.

And then Alex slowly- very slowly- lowered his gun.

"Oh God," Aram breathed as Alex switched on the safety and set the pistol on the ground beside him. "Oh _God_ , _thank Allah._ I really really _really_ didn't want to die today."

"I didn't want you to die today either," Alex said. "And I'm sorry for scaring you. I just- I had to be _sure._ I've never even suspected that there were real-life werewolves or vampires or _fairies_. I was- I still _am- really shocked."_

Alex was never really one for apologies, and he rarely made them, but he felt that now Aram rather deserved one, so he awkwardly stumbled over his words, trying to express himself.

But Aram didn't let him finish.

" _You_ were shocked?" The Pakistani interrupted incredulously. "What about _me_? There I was, just minding my own business out in a secluded stretch of forest, like I do _at least twice a month,_ when _you_ pop up, just _out of the blue_ , miles away from civilization! And before I can even explain myself, you pull out a bloody _gun!_ Why the _hell_ are you carrying a loaded pistol, Alex? That's crazy, man, what the _hell."_

Aram took a deep breath. "Now. I've remained calm, and answered your questions, because I didn't want to incite you to actually _shoot_ me. I have been _patient._ And I think it's about time you answer some of _my_ questions. I mean, you were prepared to _actually_ shoot me, you own lab partner, your own _friend_ , and that's some disturbing infor right there. Very disturbing."

Alex shifted uncomfortably, shame flushing his face. "Fine. I'll fill you in. But Aram, I have to impress upon you the absolute vitality of your silence on the manner. _No one can know that you know."_

"Mate, I've been hiding the existence of an entire secret society for _21 years._ I understand how to keep things to myself. And by the way- Para World? Need-to-know basis. So yeah, that also demands some silence. Don't spread that knowledge or they'll have my hide."

"Right, no, I understand. My lips are sealed."

"Good, good, thanks." Aram leaned forward, eyes shining. "Now _come on_ Alex, I told you my secret. What's yours? Did you steal that gun? Are you in a gang?"

Alex grimaced. Even at university he was still being accused of gang-life. Great.

He shook his head. "I didn't steal it. I bought it. It's… for my own protection."

"Protection from…?" Aram demanded impatiently. "Are you involved in a turf war or something?"

"Look, I'm not in a _gang_. I-" He took a deep breath. It would be easy to just concede, to agree that _yes_ , it was a turf war, he had a gun because he was a criminal. But Aram had given him the truth and he'd answered all of his questions, and Alex was so _tired._ It didn't feel right to lie to Aram, not after the other boy had shared such a big secret of his own. And he'd been lying for so long, about so much. He didn't want to lie anymore.

"I'm not in a gang." He repeated slowly, firmly. "I never have been, and I never will be. But… when I was… younger…" He clenched his fist. "I used to do work for the government."

Aram frowned, uncomprehending. "I don't- I don't understand. What do you mean, 'used to do work for the government'?"

"I mean they contacted me and had me do jobs for them, for a time."

"Jobs," Aram repeated. "For the- for the _government_. I still don't understand. Alex, what do you mean _jobs?"_

Alex cleared his throat. "Er, well- you know, assignments. I'd- Well, they'd send me to different places to do different things for them. Like- you know- investigating, and- and stuff."

Now that the time had come for him to explain, he found it rather hard to force out any words.

"You said 'When you were younger," Aram said slowly. "I'm confused. You're _19_ Alex, how much younger could you have possibly been? They had you, what, 'investigating' when you were 17? 16?" He leaned forward. "Alex _you have a gun._ You were going to _shoot me_ \- like, you were actually prepared to _kill_ me, if you needed to. What the _hell_ kind of investigating were you doing? When you were _16?_ That's not right, and that's even less legal. You need explain what the _fuck_ they were have you do as a bloody _minor."_

"I don't _need_ to explain anything else to you, actually," Alex grit out. "I used to do work for the government. I got on the wrong side of certain people. I carry a gun now, for my own protection. It's that simple. I'll answer the questions that you have, but I'd like for you to understand that I'm filling you in because I _want_ to, not because I _need_ to."

"That's… honestly the nicest gesture you've ever made toward me, actually." Aram sighed heavily. "Fine. I'm sorry for getting so- so pushy. But I'm _not_ sorry for getting worked up. I hope I'm wrong, I really hope I'm wrong, but you're kind of leading me to believe that you were some kind of- of child soldier or _assassin_ or something, and Alex, mate, that is _fucked up_. If I'm wrong, please, _tell me,_ I would _welcome_ being incorrect about this, but you said that when you were younger, you 'used to do work for the government' and I'm having a very hard time finding another, more rational explanation."

Alex didn't respond for a very long moment. He just focused on his breathing- in, out… in, out- and blankly studied the moon overhead.

"They never outright told me to kill anyone," he said finally, gaze never wavering from the moon. "It was always just kind of a… _byproduct…_ of the things they'd have me do."

"Jesus Christ," Aram breathed. "What the _fuck._ Alex, you've _killed_ people for the _government?_ That is so _so_ fucked up."

His eyes were wide, he was breathing fast, and he looked absolutely sick to his stomach.

"They never told me to," Alex repeated, face hot. He suddenly realized that he was trembling, and try as he might, he couldn't make it stop. "They never actually _told_ me to kill anyone."

"Holy shit, Alex you think that matters? Really? You were a fucking _kid_ , they shouldn't have asked you to do _anything_. It's fucking _abuse."_ He shook his head grimly. "And you're telling me that you carry a gun for your own protection because you 'got on the wrong side of certain people.' _What people?_ The- the _mob_ or something?"

Alex chuckled weakly. "I am actually pleased to admit that I never got involved with the British mafia at all. The _Triads_ on the other hand, now that's a different story."

"The Tri- The bloody _Chinese Triads?_ How the _hell-_ no, you know what? This isn't the time. Are they who you're protecting yourself from?" He frowned. "Do we even _have_ the Triads over here?"

"The Triads are everywhere. So yes, they are a part of who I am protecting myself from. There are others, though. There are always others. I don't really want to get into this now, but I need you to understand that I interfered in many different _things_ in many different places, and now I'm paying the price. I carry a gun for safety, and I'm sorry that I made you fear for your life. You're a good guy, Aram, and I'm really glad that you told me about your world. I just regret the circumstances."

"You're welcome and I forgive you." Aram said impatiently. "Now can we get back to this child soldier thing? Who exactly made you do this shit? Are they in jail? Are you still in contact with them?"

He had a sudden thought and a stricken look overtook his face.

"You don't still 'do work' for the government, do you?"

"No. I don't do that stuff anymore."

He didn't answer Aram's other questions and his lab partner stared at him in disbelief.

"Are you really not going to _tell_ me about it? You just admitted to _killing_ people for the _government_ when you were a fucking _kid._ I have never been been so disgusted in my entire life."

Alex clenched his fist. The shaking didn't stop. "I didn't _want_ to kill people."

It came out wobbly. _Unsteady._ He had to force the words out.

Aram sucked in a breath. " _Allah_ , no, Alex I _know_ that. I'm not- Fuck. -I'm sorry. It's _them_ I'm disgusted with, not you. _Them._ Whoever _they_ are."

Alex was finally getting his tremors under control. He exhaled slowly through his nose. "It's in the past, Aram. I just thought you deserved an explanation. I held a gun to your head. I'm sorry."

"You've already apologized, mate. And I've already forgiven you. I want to know more about the kind of 'things' they made you do. 'Stuff', you said. What 'stuff'?"

"I'm sorry." He shook his head. "I can't tell you that. That's classified. Even for lycans."

Alex couldn't actually be 100% sure of that, but he was pretty damn confident. Aram was a civilian, no matter what species, and civilians _didn't need to know anything_ about his assignments.

"Look, Aram, like I said, I just thought you deserved an explanation. So I gave you one. Maybe sometime in the future I'll tell you a bit more, but honestly? For your _safety_ there's a lot you can't know. There's a lot that you wouldn't _want_ to know, too."

"Fucking hell," Aram shook his head in disbelief. "This is the craziest thing I've ever heard in my _life."_

Alex snorted. "How do you think _I_ feel. The supernatural world is real and out there _right now_. I'm barely holding it together. As soon as we get back to school I'm secluding myself in a quiet corner somewhere and having a _major_ meltdown."

"Ditto on that." Aram bit his lip. "So- um- I know you're probably tired of questions- of which I have _many_ more, by the way- but uh- what exactly _were_ you doing out here so late?"

The blond boy coughed awkwardly and shifted in place.

"I was following you," he admitted, avoiding Aram's eyes. "You'd been- well, you'd been acting kind of _strange_ these past few days. Suspicious. I followed you to the woods. I thought you were meeting someone maybe. I don't know. I was paranoid a bit, I guess."

"You followed me here all the way from the school?" Aram blurted incredulously. "How on _earth_ did you manage that? I was absolutely _positive_ there was no one on the road behind me on the way in!"

"There wasn't. I… hid in your trunk."

"... You _what?"_

"I hid in your trunk," Alex repeated, face burning red. "Of your car. I snuck in when you were rummaging around in your glove compartment and just kind of rode my way here."

"What the _hell._ Seriously, the _fuck."_ Aram shook his head, looking overwhelmed. "I didn't even notice. The fuck. You hopped in the trunk of my car? Was I really acting that suspicious? I mean, I know I was getting kind of restless, anticipating the shift… But the trunk of my _car…"_

"I'm sorry," said Alex for what felt like the hundredth time. "I shouldn't have invaded your privacy like that. But… yes. You were pretty suspicious."

* * *

 **AN: So yeah, pretty abrupt ending but like I said I'm still fitting everything together! If you enjoyed this snippet it would be awesome if you let me know, because it'd probably guilt me into putting more effort into this lol :)**


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